journalist, author

A few of my articles.

U.N. Admits Role in Cholera Epidemic in Haiti - Aug. 17, 2016 - For the first time since a cholera epidemic believed to be imported by United Nations peacekeepers began killing thousands of Haitians nearly six years ago, the office of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has acknowledged that the United Nations played a role in the initial outbreak and that a “significant new set of U.N. actions” will be needed to respond to the crisis.

U.S. Wants Former Salvadoran Ally to Face Justice in 1989 Massacre - Sept. 13, 2015 - This quiet shift, taking place in hidden discussions and nearly empty courtrooms, is a sign of how much has and has not changed since the end of the Cold War. Championed by human rights advocates and condemned by critics who say it amounts to selling out old allies, the move speaks to the ever-complicated relationship between American foreign policy and human rights around the world.

In Chapel Hill, Suspect's Rage Went Beyond a Parking Dispute - March 3, 2015 - A motive for the shooting may never be known. But interviews with more than a dozen of the victims’ friends and family members, lawyers, police officers and others make two central points: Before the shootings, the students took concerted steps to appease a menacing neighbor, and none were parked that day in a way that would have set off an incident involving their cars.

What Happened to North Carolina? - Oct. 7, 2016 - It is also Exhibit A of the partisan self-sorting that has defined national politics in recent decades; a trend that has produced violent mood swings.

How Not to Report on an Earthquake- April 28, 2015 - These myths come with consequences. Rash decisions made in the heady days after a disaster, when everyone is committed to the response and the money is flush, are fiendishly difficult to undo.

The King and Queen of Haiti - May 4, 2015 - No country more clearly illustrates the confusing nexus of Hillary Clinton’s State Department and Bill Clinton’s foundation than Haiti—America’s poorest neighbor.

See more of Jonathan's work, including his full coverage of the 2015 Paris Climate Talks, at newrepublic.com

The Red Cross Won’t Save Houston - Aug. 28, 2017 - There is too much focus on the American Red Cross in disasters such as Harvey, in a way that goes beyond any one organization.

What They Knew and When They Knew It - March 30, 2017 - New emails reveal just how soon American officials realized the U.N. had brought cholera to Haiti. What they did next helped pave the way for Trump.

Money, Politics, and Pollution in North Carolina - May 7, 2014- In North Carolina, the debate over whether unrestricted campaign spending represents the flourishing of democracy or its corrosion is not an abstract one. It is literally in the water.

Havana's Hotspots - Oct. 15, 2015 - Cuba is coming online, but who will control its internet?

How the Apocalypse Will Bring Out the Best in People - April 22, 2016 - After cataclysmic natural disasters, authorities tend to anticipate looting, violence, and a breakdown of social bonds. What they more often find, though, is a rugged spirit of solidarity.

The Supreme Court v. The Paris Agreement - Feb. 12, 2016 - The irony is that no one is more likely to scuttle any nation’s carbon pledge—and the Paris Agreement—than Fox’s core audience in the Republican Party, which sits at a uniquely cozy nexus of energy company money and science denial.